As an elderly person, keeping your immediate surroundings clean is very important. Besides giving you the feeling of cleanliness and well being, a clean environment also helps you stay safe from germs and possible infections.
The immune system of an elderly person is significantly weaker than that of a younger person. A weaker immune system only means it will be easier to get infected, all thanks to poorer resistance that come with old age.
Germs can spread as fast as you touch dirty objects in the house. It becomes worse when infected hands make contact with the mouth, skin or food.
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Keeping your Environment Clean as a Senior
If you’re an elder, then it may seem like a daunting task keeping your environment clean, but it’s really not.
House chores, as far as cleaning is concerned isn’t so difficult, you just need to know what to do, and how to do it right.
Besides, there are home cleaning tools specially designed for elders who want to clean on their own. There are lightweight vacuum cleaners for elderlythat you can use at home.
You can ask a close friend or relative to recommend the best lightweight vacuum cleaners for elderly, one that will meet your cleaning needs, depending on the nature of your floors.
In this article, I will be giving you simple cleaning tips that will make your stay at home healthier and more enjoyable.
Read on!
Things to do –
1. Clean Surfaces Regularly With Disinfectants And Sanitizers
You may be an elder, but that doesn’t stop you from cooking, grabbing the remote control or using the bathroom. These surfaces (kitchen counter, TV stand, flusher etc) can carry germs and these germs stick to your hands immediately you make contact.
To ensure that the surfaces in your home remain germ-free, it is advisable to clean regularly with disinfectants and sanitizers. These cleaners kill surface germs and eliminate the threat.
Please note that you should wear a pair of cleaning gloves while cleaning, just so your skin doesn’t make direct contact with the germs or the cleaning fluids.
2. Don’t Leave Dirty Dishes Unwashed
Yes I know, as an elder, you’re probably tired and you may be tempted to leave the dishes in the sink overnight so you can wash in the morning. That’s a bad idea!
Bacteria will gather up overnight and feast on stale food, which have been left over on your plates. You may say you’ll put on a pair of gloves when you wash them in the morning, but why take the risk of inviting bacteria into your home?
Also, the smell of stale food is offensive and may upset you in the morning. It is best to do your dishes as soon as you are done with your meal.
3. Vacuum The Floors
When we go out, dust and debris stick to our shoes, and inevitably, we bring them into the house. This means you will need to vacuum your floors regularly to get rid of all the unwanted particles.
As an elder, there are vacuum cleaners specially made for you. They are lightweight and very easy to use.
If you’re an elder that suffers from asthma or other breathing complications, then vacuuming your floors is a must, as dust and debris can further complicate your issues.
Make sure you cover all grounds while vacuuming. Get the back of the cupboards and under the chairs. You can go over same spots more than once just to be sure you pick up everything.
If you want to vacuum by yourself, then you should wear a nose mask while you’re at it, to prevent dust inhalation.
4. Take Out The Trash
When trash piles up in your kitchen, you’ll be putting yourself at risk of a wide range of unpleasant outcomes. These outcomes include a horrible smell, and a build-up of germs and bacteria.
Bad odors may cause an elder to cough or sneeze, it can also lead to, or complicate an already existing breathing problem.
Have trash bags in hand, and take out the trash even before it becomes full. This will significantly reduce amount of germs in your home, and help your home smell fresher.
5. Hire Help
It is very understandable if age doesn’t permit you do the cleaning chores yourself. Your bones may be weak and your overall strength has been depleted. Nonetheless, your environment still needs to be cleaned.
In such a situation, a good option is to hire some help. You can make arrangements with an individual to come over at designated times to do the cleaning. You could also engage the services of a cleaning firm.
An extra tip is to call on a close friend or family member to help you out with the cleaning whenever they are free to do so.
6. Extras
You need to clean your windows regularly, so they look nice and clear, in and out. You also need to do your laundry and change your sheets when necessary.
Another thing you need to do is to keep smaller items properly arranged in specific positions. The remote control should have its place, so do magazines, newspapers and keys.
When items like these are properly arranged, it will be easier for you to access them when you need them. Imagine if you forgot where you dropped your keys, you’d probably turn the whole house “upside down” looking for them. You don’t want that do you? Remember, the idea is keeping your environment clean.
Conclusion
An active elder stands a better chance of living a longer and healthier life than an inactive one. Which is why cleaning your environment yourself isn’t a bad idea.
You could consider all your cleaning sessions as forms of exercise, because they are.
If need be, draw up cleaning schedules and set reminders on your phone, so you don’t miss a cleaning session.
You could also make it a fun experience by playing your favorite songs while you clean.
I believe the tips I’ve listed above would be helpful.
Good luck!